What is the key concept for this section? What is the
earth’s main source of energy? What are three forms
of indirect solar energy? What is commercial energy
and where does most of it come from in the world
and in the United States? What is crude oil (petroleum) and how is it extracted from the earth? Define peak production for an oil well or field. What
is refining? What are petrochemicals and why are
they important? What are proven oil reserves? Describe the process of removing tightly held oil and
natural gas through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. What three countries have the world’s largest proven oil reserves and
what three countries are the largest users of oil?
What percentage of the world’s proven oil reserves
do the United States and China have? Summarize
the story of oil production and consumption in the
United States. What are the major advantages and
disadvantages of using crude oil as an energy resource? What is shale oil and how is this heavy oil
produced? What are tar sands, or oil sands? What
is bitumen, and how is it extracted and converted to
heavy oil? What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using shale oil and heavy oils produced from tar sands as energy resources?